Sectional pneumatic tube.



F. R. BAYLIS.

BEGTIONAL PNEUMATIU TUBE. APPL'IoA'rIoN FILED JA'H. 6, 1910,

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

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SEGTIONAI. PNEUMLTG TUBE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. a, 1.910.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

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specificati@ qf nec-ters Patent.

Application filed Jennery 6. 1910- Serial N0. 536,596-

Patented' Nov; 29, 1910.

To. all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS It, BAyLIs, a` citizen of the United States, residing atl Lansing, in the county of Ingham and State.

with tires for automobiles and similar vehiel of Michigan, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sectional Pneumatic Tubes, of which the following is aV My inrention relates to improvements in,

pneumatic tubes adapted especially for use and comprises essentially an inner tube ,ormed in sections adapted to be separated'or assembled at will, and which when. assembled and positioned for use are inflated` from one point, as is usual in tire construc- 'tigscomprising both an inner and an outer tu Diiculty has always been experienced in the use of tires Having a continuous expansibleinner tube,in` that a puncture extending throu h the outer tube into the inner one ador s speedy egress-for the air confined therein., Consequentl the tire soon attens and is lof vvery litt e use until the inner tube is're'placedl or repaired. Theremoving of an inner tube is attended. with diiculty and consumes a great-,deal of time, and if 1t -isrepaired and replaced for use, its life is normally much shortened by the operation. To overcome this diculty attendant upon thc use of a continuous inner tube, I have devised a tube made up. of sections'which are constructed to be secured 35 /together in such manner as to be readily separable, and when thus secured together the expansion takesf place through the connecting means. without difficulty., If one of the sections is punctured, or for any reason leaks and therefore collapses, either wholly or partially, the remaining sections on either side thereof quickly expand into the vacancy thus created,` and render the tube practically complete, and its use may be continued for a considerable period without removing the injuredysection. Not only dothe remaining sections expand, but means are provided vto prevent the flow of air from the adjoining sections into the leak-in one, and this means ,comes into operation a most simultaneously with the commencement 'of the escape of air A from the injured section. Itis possible that several sections in my construction'may be injured, and the remaining ones will eX and sufficientlyto render the tire firm enoug` for continued use. l

The devices for accomplishing the pur-l,

-poses herein set forth. will be hereinafter specifically described.

In the drawings, which accompany this description and form a part of this specifiy cation, Figure 1 1s a-section through a portion of a wheel and tire equipped with my sectional inner tube; Fi 2 is a longitudinal sectional viewof one o the scctionsor elementsl making up the complete innerl tube;

Fig. 3 shows the connections for iniating the l inner tube.V

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the s okes of a vehicle wheel; 2 therim secured t ereon; 3, is an elastic tire constructed in the usual manner; 4 is a section of the inner tube which in my construction is made up of a plurality of sections practically' identical,

and mduntfd and connected. together in a manner now to be described. Each section isprovided with the end o' ienings 5. and 6,

` the walls of the opening 5 eing reinforced as shown by the wire 7, and the walls of the opening 6 being formed with the reinforcing angc 8; through the opening 6 is inserte the metallic member 9. provided with the external threads 1,0, and having the annular flange 11 formed thereon to receive and position the spiral spring 12. The opening or series of ,openings 13 arrangedV circumferentially of the member 9 permit passage therethrough into the section 4 of the air beingused to expand the section. Internally, the member 9 is bored to provide the passa eway 14, which opens at 15 into the tubu ar portion 16. v f A separate c lindrical member 1 5a is shown positione in the tubular portion 16` of themember 9. Itis apparent that the member ,9 might vloe bored to. produce the internal openin therethrough shown in Fig. 2,.but it woul be more expensive than to provide the se arate tubular member 15a positioned in te tubular portion of memer 9. Itis also apparent that the member 15a may be readily positioned in the member 9 before the arts are assembled.

Positioned in t e opening 5 is a member' 17, which is internally threaded at 18 toreceive the externally .threadedJ end of the Gicap 37, and the air then fiows through the' neled portion 19 is placed a notched member 21, in such manner that a passageway 22 is left around the samefor the ingress and egress of air used in iniiating the sections. The position of notched member 21 in the channeled portion 19 is such that a s ace is left on the inner side thereof for a all 23 which operates as a valve to stop the liow v'of air through the assageway 20 at certain times, which will e hereinafter described.

There is screwed into the end of member 17 an externally threaded member 24 which has a passageway 25 therethrough connecting with the air passageway in the member in the adjacent section corresponding to the' threadedstop member 24 is then turned to its desired position; when the. parts are thus assembled, the me ber 17 is inserted through the opening 6, hich expands suiciently to take over the flange 28, thereby admitting the member 17, and 'the end thereof beyond the {lar/ige 28 is inserted through the opening 5, as appears in Fig. 2. Thereupon, the spring 12 is positioned upon the member 17 in suchmanner that member 17 may be rotated thereon and secured over the flange- 28; 'the member 9 is then introduced through the opening 6 and receives the end portion 29 of the member 17 in its tubular portion 16, the sprin 12 being positioned over the flange 11. ormally, the parts will be posi- .'tioned telescopically with relation 'to each other approximately as appears in Fig. 2, leaving the openings 13 unobstructed and in communication with the passageways 14 and 20.\ A section similar to 4 is then assembled in a similar manner and the extension correl sponding to 10 thereon is then screwed into the internally threaded. portion 18 of member 17, thereby uniting the two sections firmly together; it is noted that the extension 10 is inclined to accommodate the rigid members to the proper curvature of the elastic outer tube 3. When the sections are all assembled in this way, air is introduced with a forcel pump, and I have illustrated `in Fig. 3 a device to which the force pump maybe attached:

32 is ya member adapted to be screwed upon the members 9'and 17 and is bored to provide the air passageway 33; the stem 34 1s bored at 35, and over-the said stem is fitted the tube 36 closed at the free end with the screw cap 37. The force pump is connecte'diwith -tube.36 after the removal of Way 20 at the same time that the air is en-A terlng through the openings .13 into the section 4, so that normally the air 1s passing into all of the sections at the same time. The spiral spring 12 is of such .length and such adjustment that'the metallic members 9 and 17 are held in approximately the relation shown, in Fig. 2. It will/ be seen that the balls 22 and 27 offer practically no interference to the passage of the air when the sections are being expanded.`

Assume that all of thesections have been i infiated and the tire is in use; suppose the outer tire 3 is punctured and an o ening is thereby made through section 4; t e air at once begins to escape, and section 4 tends to shrink. The escape of the air will induce 'the air conned in the other sections to escape into section 4, but this is prevented from the direction of section 4 see Fig. 1) by the ball 23; this, by the swi t iniiow of the air fromsection 4a will be driven into the seat 30 in the passageway 20, thereby closing the same to the admission of air from that side. The air tending to enter from section 4b will operate to force the ball corresponding to 27 into the seat corresponding to 3l in the passageway 25, thereby preventing the passage of air in that direction. Consequently, in this manner, the-air is prevented from escaping from the adjacent sections into the punctured section. As the punctured section shrinks, the air in the ad- Joining sections will expand, and here it should be said that the sections are so constructed and united that when the inner tube is inflated, the sections contact with each other at their ends, and press against each other with some force. Therefore, the sections adjacent to the punctured one may expand, which expansion will thereupon extend through all ofthe remainin sections, and consequently the movement o the rubber sections upon the metallic connectionsv will permit the' expansion of the adjacent rubber sections .into the space, in great part,

occupied by the shrunken or punctured section 4. The expansion of the adjacent sections will cause the telescoping members 9 and 17 to more together, thereby 4bringing the body of member 17 tubular portion 16 and the end portion 29 will enter the channeled portion of 15. In

farther into the 49 where they are ready for use when the conthis4 .,'tion of thev parts, the openings.v 13:,

through around the circle of the inner tube.. When this telescoping action has proceeded.y

sufficiently to close the o enings 13, air communication between section 4 and the other sections will be cut oif, whereupon the balls acting as valves, 23 and 27, will be relieved. of the pressure thereon, described above,

and will accordingly fall out of their seats and settle into approximately the positionindicated in Fig. 2, the air pressure having become normal throughout the inner tube. It will. be understood that theA ball corresponding to 2 7, which has been lifted into.`

its seat, is found in section 4". When it is desired to deflate the sections of theinner tube, the air may be permitted to escape outwardly through the valve throughl which it has entered, in the usual way.

Variations of my construction may be made, and I do not therefore confine myself to the specific forms illustrated and described. The essential features of my invention are seen to be the telescoping inembers having the passageways therethrough, the mounting of the sprin thereon, the mounting of the rubber sectionthereon, in such manner that it will permit of some longitudinal movement thereon due to eX- pansion or contraction thereof, the provision of the valves and the means for confining the same within the appropriate region ditions arise, and the means for readily uniting the various metallic members securely in a continuous ring upon which the rubber sections are mounted.

What I claim is: Y

1. In a sectional tube, an elastic hollow member having openings therethrough, rigid members adapted to be positioned within these openings in telescopic relation, and resilient means for maintaining said members in the desired relative position.

2. In a sectional tube, an elastic hollowr member having` o enings therethrough, rigid members adapte to be positioned within these openings in telescopic relation, and resilient means for maintaining said members in the desired position, there being a passageway yprovided through such members,

and means for obstructing said passageway.`

3. In a sectional tube, an elastic hollow member having openings therethrough, rigid members adapted to be positioned within these openings in telescopic relation, and resilient means for maintaining said members in the desired position, there being a passageway provided through such members, and-meansfor obstructing said passageway,

one of said members having openings therethrough communicating with said passage-v way.

4. In a sectional tube, an elast-ic hollow member having openings therethrough, rigid members adapted tof be positionedl within .these openings in telescopic relation, and resilient means for maintaining said members in the desired sageway provi ed through such members,

osi'tion, there being apasand means for obstructing. said passageway, one of said members having openings therethrough communicating with said passageway when said rigid members are in normal position, said openings being adapted to be' obstructed when the members are abnormally telescoped.

5. In asectional, tube, an elastic hollow member hav-ing openings therethrough, rigid members insertedl through said openings in telescopic relation, there being a communicating passageway through said members, one of said members having a hollowed portion forming a part of said passageway, a notched member positioned in said hollow portion, and closure means for said passageway placed on opposite sides of said notched i member.

6. Ina sectional tube, an elastic hollow member having openings therethrough, rigid members insertedl through said openings in telescopic relation, there being a communicating passageway through said members, one of said members having a hollowed portion forming a part of said passageway, a notched member positionedv in said hollow portion, aiclosure means for said passageway placed on opposite sides of said notched member, a second member placed within said hollowed portion and having a communicating passageway therethrough.

7 In a sectional tube, an elastic hollow member .having openings therethrough, rigid members positioned telescopically therein and having a communicating passageway therethrough, spaced apart members positioned in said passageway, and closure means for said passageway confined therein by said spaced apart members.

8. In a sectional tube, an elastic hollow member having openings therethrough, rigid members having a passafrewaytherethrough arranged in telescopic retlation in said opening's,'a member placed in said passagewa to permit the passa e of air therearoun a second member p aced in said passageway, ball valves for said passageway placed therein on opposite sides of said first mentioned member therein.

9. A sectional inner tube for pneumatic tires comprising iniiatable sections having openings therethrough, ri id members in telescopicv relation inserte through said -sald members openings and connected to corresponding r1g1d members in the adjacent sections, there being a continuous passageway through said rigid members.V l c 10. A sectional inner tube for pneumatic tires comprising inflatable sections having openings therethrough, rigid members in telescopic relation inserted -through said openings and connected to corresponding rigid members in the adjacent sections, there being a continuous passageway through said rigid members, and openings'through one of affording communication between said section and said passageway.

1.1. A sectional tube' for pneumatic tires comprising iniiatable sections having rein-- way and said section.

12. A sectional inner tube for pneumatic tires comprising a plurality of -iniatable sections having openings therethrough, rigid telescoping members positioned in said openings, a resilient member arranged thereon to determine thev relative positionv of said members, means. for connecting said rigid members with similar members in the contiguous sections, there being a continuous passageway throufgh said connectedrigid members,I means or forcing air lnto said passageway into said sections, and means for cutting oif communication throughsaid passageway between a given section and the contiguous sections.

13. A sectional inner tube for a pneumatic tire comprising a pluralit of iniiatable sections having openings t erethrou h, telescoping members placed through t e openings in each section having a communicating passageway therethrough and means for communication between said passageway and the interior of said section, means for connecting the telescopin members of each section with similar mem rs in the contiguous sections,'whereby a continuous passageway is formed through said sections, and means for obstructing said passageway to prevent the iiow of air into any desired section.

14. In a sectional tube, an elastic hollow member having openings therethrough, rigid members positioned telescopically therein and having a. communicating passageway therethrough, and closure means for said passageway coniined therein.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

A. T. BENSON G. L. MowRY. 

